Fire Burning
by CHSPatriot09
Summary: What if Hogwarts held a Yule Ball during Lily and James' seventh year? What if Lily finally realized that she really did love James? This is not a song fic in any way. Rated M for some strong language, mild suggestiveness, sexuality, and a lemon. R&R. :
1. Chapter 1

What if they held a Yule Ball at Hogwarts while James and Lily were in their seventh year? What if James finally succeeded in getting Lily to go on a date with him? I think you get the picture – this fic is pretty much just that. L/J. Rated M for a reason, obviously. I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling was. Damn... Anyway, on with the story. Enjoy. :)

"You're so lucky, Alice," Lily sighed, sinking into an armchair by the fire in the Gryffindor common room late one night, pulling out a roll of parchment and her Potions textbook – thought she highly doubted that she would need the latter to write the essay Slughorn had earlier assigned.

"Why is that?" Alice asked, pulling out her Potions textbook as well. She, on the other hand, was sure to need it, and she always relied on Lily's help in Potions.

"You already have a date to the Yule Ball," Lily said, already scribbling away on her parchment, lifting her quill every minute or so to refill the tip with ink.

"He's not really my date," Alice said. "He's my boyfriend."

"I don't care if he has three arms," Lily said sarcastically. "You have someone to go with. You, unlike _some people_ do not have to worry and stress about either finding a date or looking stupid when you show up alone."

"Lily, please," Alice said. "You could have any guy in this school you want."

"All the good ones are either taken or out of school by now," Lily pouted. "It's not like I can go with Severus, what with his new rule of hating Mudbloods and all, and Henry graduated last year." Lily sighed. "I wish I wouldn't have broken it off with him...he was a really nice guy."

"The only thing he wanted was to get into your pants," Alice said seriously. "Honestly, Lily, you can do so much better."

"Well, at least he liked me, and at least he _tried_ to be a gentleman about it." Lily nodded toward James Potter, who was on the other side of the room, sitting in an armchair, laughing his head off, as Sirius Black humped James' leg flamboyantly. For a brief moment of insanity, Lily thought, _What if...?_ But she said to herself sternly, _Not an option. Don't even think about it, Lily_.

"Would you just look at those two," Alice scoffed, shaking her head. "Doing that in the middle of the common room, where first years can see! He's Head Boy, too, Lily. And you're Head Girl...maybe you should say something."

Lily shrugged and set down her quill. She stood up warily and walked toward the two, making her way politely through the little audience they had collected. Only when she was standing right beside them did they look up.

"What's wrong, Evans?" James asked, grinning. He seemed totally relaxed, lounging in the chair as Sirius seated himself on the arm of it.

"You two have to stop," Lily said, shaking her head in disbelief. Why did she even need to tell them this? They were _supposed_ to be mature adults. "This is inappropriate. There are eleven and twelve year olds watching you."

"Aw, Evans," Sirius said. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were so jealous. If you want to take over from here, James' lap is all yours." He grinned cheekily.

Lily felt her face flush with embarrassment, but ignored it, hoping that no one else would notice. James was looking down suddenly, a sober look on his face. Shame? Lily didn't know.

"Padfoot," James murmured quietly. "Don't."

"Sorry, Prongs," Sirius chuckled. "I didn't realize you'd become modest in your old age. My apologies."

James just shook his head and got up, shoving Sirius so he fell onto the seat of the chair. He looked at Lily. "Sorry, Evans. You're absolutely right. You have my word that it won't happen again."

Lily was taken aback. "Oh," she said, surprised, before she gathered herself, remembering that she was supposed to be acting like she had authority. "Right...well...I suppose we should get to our rounds, then, Potter. It's nearly nine."

"Right," James murmured, pushing his hands through his hair. He picked up his wand off the end table beside the chair. "Let's get to it, then."

Lily followed him toward the portrait hole. When Lily passed Alice, she noticed that her best friend was looking at her skeptically, but ignored Alice for the moment and followed James out of the common room, into the corridor.

"I really am sorry about what happened back there," James said. Lily walked awkwardly beside him, and suddenly she wanted to reach out and grab his hand. Suddenly, his broad shoulders and untidy black hair were extremely enticing. His tanned skin begged to be caressed, and Lily's hands itched to do just that. "And I'm sorry about what Sirius said," he continued after a moment. "It was out of line."

Lily blushed, trying to ignore the elephant in the room. "It's all right," she said, attempting to brush off his apology. "It's just how he is. I know that."

"That doesn't make it okay," James said quietly, shaking his head. Lily wasn't even sure where they were headed tonight, and she wasn't sure that James was either. They were just roaming the corridors absently as the spoke.

"Don't worry about it, Potter," Lily said. "Seriously, it's not a big deal."

But it _was_ big deal. Suddenly, Lily _was_ jealous of the proximity Sirius Black constantly had to James Potter, whether it was a friendly arm around his shoulder or playful wrestling in the common room to show off for the fifth and sixth year girls. And she _was_ thinking about going to the Yule Ball on the arm of James Potter, Hogwarts' most eligible bachelor.

"Potter?" Lily murmured.

"Evans," he said quietly, smiling his charming, perfect smile. Lily blushed under the intensity of his gaze.

_What am I doing?_ Lily asked herself. _I can't ask James Potter to the Yule Ball. He probably already has a date. He probably already has five, for that matter. He'll probably reject me. He's probably sick of playing games with me, trying to get me to go out with him all the time. He's probably going to tell everyone who will listen – which is likely to be a lot of people – about how pathetic I am. And then what are people going to think of me? I know exactly what people will think – that I'm just another crazed fan girl of James Potter, lusting after the school Quidditch star. But I have to ask him. If I don't get a date, I'll just end up looking like an idiot at the ball anyway. Either way, I lose my dignity, so what's the point of all this stress and worry in the first place?_

"Evans?" James said, bringing Lily back to the situation at hand. "Were you going to say something?"

Lily realized that her face was flushed and that she was feeling a little bit dizzy. _Here goes nothing. _She corrected herself. _Here goes the biggest mistake of my life._ "Potter, do you have a date to the ball yet?"

James stopped walking and he turned to face her, his hazel eyes, wide as saucers, locking on hers. She almost passed out from the sheer beauty of his eyes. Why had she not noticed them before? What the hell was _wrong_ with her? _Shit_, she thought, _I am just another insane fan girl..._

"No," James said, clearing his throat and resuming his slow walk. Lily followed, and neither of them acknowledged the brief break in their walk, or the awkward silence. "Er...why do you ask, Evans?"

Lily would have been willing to bet any of her worldly possessions that James Potter knew _exactly_ why she was asking. But she remembered that she had been the one to open the conversation, and swallowed her pride, staring at the floor as she walked.

"Well, Potter," she said awkwardly, "neither do I. And, seeing as neither of us have dates so close to the ball, I was thinking that – rather than going alone and having the Head Boy and Girl look like idiots – it might be a good idea for us to go together. Of course, I'd understand if you still wanted to try and find an actual date... I just thought I'd give you the option of saving yourself all the trouble." She realized she had been speaking for too long, and stopped, not looking at James.

"No, Evans," James mumbled. "I think we should go together too."

Lily's head snapped up, and she was finally looking at James' face, but his expression was unreadable.

"You know," he said hurriedly, "just so we don't look like morons."

"Right," Lily said. "So, yeah...I guess it's settled then."

"I guess it is," James said, starting to walk again. When had they stopped? He looked around the empty corridor. "Well," James said, looking at his watch, "it's ten o'clock and I haven't seen one person out after curfew. What do you say we head off to bed?"

"Sure," Lily said, nodding. They took a turn, went up two staircases, and found themselves in front of the statue of Godric Gryffindor on the seventh floor that concealed the entrance to the Head's common room.

"Silver dagger," James sighed, sounding exhausted, and the giant statue stepped aside. James motioned for Lily to go in before him, and she thanked him as she stepped inside. Once James had entered, the statue stepped back in front of the entrance.

"Well," Lily said, "I think I'll just go on to bed now." She backed toward the door that led to her private dormitory.

"Right," James said, nodding. "Me too. 'Night, Evans."

"Goodnight, Potter." She smiled before she closed the door. As soon as she was alone, she jumped up and down excitedly. Play-by-plays of the night's patrol ran through her mind over and over again, and she couldn't seem to get the thought out of her head.

_I asked James Potter to the Yule Ball_, she thought. _...And he said yes!_

Lily hadn't told anyone that she was going to the Yule Ball with James Potter – her insides leapt excitedly every time she thought about it – and she suspected that he hadn't told anyone either, because no one was talking about it. Plus, every dateless girl in Hogwarts still seemed to be hopeful that she might, by some miracle, get to go to the ball with James. Surely, if he'd told anyone, it would be all over the school by now...

Lily got ready in her dormitory, showering in her private bathroom and then using a drying potion on her auburn hair that made it soft and smooth. Lily twisted it elegantly and pinned it at the back of her head. She pulled on her emerald green dress. It was strapless, and reached the floor. She smiled to herself, thinking that the contrast of the vibrantly colored silky material contrasted perfectly with the fairness of her skin.

Once she was completely finished, she exited her dormitory, and stood by the fire in the common room, waiting for James. Could he still be in his room getting ready, she wondered? He was already bloody gorgeous, for crying out loud. What more was he doing than throwing on a pair of dress robes? He could probably wear gym pants to the ball and still look better than anyone else there.

The entrance opened behind her and she turned around. James walked in, and Lily felt her heart begin to beat erratically.

James Potter was dressed in black, head to toe. The hem of his dress robes hung just to his knees. The dress pants he was wearing were loose on his legs, but Lily enjoyed imagining what his muscular legs looked like underneath. His broad shoulders filled out the robes nicely, angular and somehow soft at the same time. He walked toward Lily, carrying a small plastic container in his hands.

"Hi," James said, clearing his throat. Lily realized that she'd been staring for more than a moment, and looked away quickly, at the floor, at the fire, out the window – anywhere except the miracle of James Potter. "I, uh...got you a corsage. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. I just thought...you know...just in case you did."

"I got you one too," Lily murmured, ignoring the fact that both of them were blushing scarlet as she picked his boutonniere up off the end table she'd set it on.

"Oh," he said, sounding both surprised and relieved. "Okay. Uh, here..."

He opened the box he was holding and pulled out the white lily. It had a pretty green lace wristband, which James stretched slightly as he held the corsage out for Lily. She put her hand through gently.

"It's a lily. And I thought the green might look nice with your eyes," James murmured. "But it matches your dress, too, so I guess I got lucky. It looks nice on you." He shrugged awkwardly.

Lily blushed, taking the boutonniere out of its box. It was a pink tiger lily. Gently, Lily pinned it to the pointed lapel of his dress robe, secretly enjoying having her hands on his chest. She was close to him, concentrated on getting the pins through the right way. When she was finished, she stepped away, and James looked down at it, smiling.

"Pink," he murmured, shaking his head teasingly. "Evans, you're going to kill me."

"Probably," Lily said, shrugging. She was glad he'd broken the awkward silence with a joke. "You know, Potter," she said, deciding to continue with the jokes to keep the light atmosphere going between them. "You clean up pretty nice when you aren't out sloshing around the muddy Quidditch pitch."

James laughed. "Yeah, Evans, well...you don't look completely horrible yourself."

Lily blushed. Had he just complimented her? Actually, if she thought about it, he'd said _you don't look completely horrible_. That wasn't really a compliment, was it? "Thank you," she murmured.

James was suddenly closer to her, touching her chin with his big, warm hand and lifting her face up so she would meet his gaze. "Really, Evans," he murmured. "You look beautiful. I just thought I'd let you know."

Lily blushed, but didn't look away. His eyes were burning with intensity, holding hers. And then James backed away, looking everywhere but at her, and cleared his throat loudly. The sound started her – up until then, they'd been speaking quietly.

"We should probably get down there," James said, his voice returning to its normal level. He offered her his arm, which she took awkwardly. Together, they walked down flights of stairs, through corridors. Lily was concentrating on ignoring the stairs of passersby, and she decided that she would be most content if no one called attention to the fact that they were together. But obviously James hadn't told anyone that he was taking her to the ball – people looked utterly shocked to see James and Lily together. Sirius even looked totally stunned when James went over him in the Entrance Hall. "Hey, Padfoot," James said cheerfully.

Sirius looked dumbstruck as James shook his hand and patted him on the back jovially. "Hey, Prongs," Sirius said. "Er...you and Evans here together?"

"Yeah," James said immediately, smiling. I looked up at him, and there was a euphoric look lighting his handsome features. His smile was blinding; his teeth glinted in the flickering light of hundred of candles floating overhead.

Sirius was looking at me, his eyes sliding from my feet up, lingering for a moment on my breasts. "Who knew?" he sighed. "Evans is actually pretty."

I blushed, although I thought Sirius was – as always – being rather rude, even if he had complimented me.

James frowned at his best friend. "Shut up, mate. Give it a rest with the staring, too."

Sirius frowned. "All right. Hey, I'm going to meet Marlene for a drink."

"Oh, did you come with her?" James asked, looking confused.

"No," Sirius said. "She came with some other bloke. But he's not very lively...she'll be up in my dormitory later on, if you know what I mean. I guarantee it." He winked, and went off toward the drink table, where Marlene was already waiting for him. She was bleach blonde and wearing too much makeup, as always.

"Whore," I murmured, forgetting who was standing next to me. James was Marlene's cousin. "Sorry," I mumbled. "I didn't mean to say that."

"No," he laughed. "It's okay. She is a whore." James smiled down at me as he led me to the dance floor. "We should probably dance," he said offhandedly. "You know...keep up the image and all."

"Right," I said, allowing him to put one hand on my lower back while he held the other gently. I hoped my hands weren't sweating, and put my free hand on his upper arm. James began to waltz easily to the music. I'd never danced the waltz before, but it was simple with James...effortless. "You're a good dancer, Potter, I'll admit it."

He grinned down at me, and I feared my heart might stop. "Only one of the benefits to being raised in high society, Evans."

"Only one?" I wondered. "Besides the money and the influence, what else is there?"

"Dashing good looks, of course," he told me, grinning even more widely. "Not to mention my natural charm and pleasant manners."

I snorted.

"Evans, Evans, Evans," James murmured, pulling me closer against his body as the song changed. He released my hand, and I put both arms around his neck as I felt his hands on my hips and lower back. "I believe you underestimate me."

"Possibly," I agreed, smiling at him as pleasantly as I could manage. I just couldn't match the easy grace of his perfect grin.

We continued to chat amiably, and I wasn't surprised when a pretty sixth year girl named Ally Rosenberg came up behind James and touched one of his shoulders.

"Hey James," she purred seductively. Her dress was too low-cut in my opinion, and only reached her mid-thigh. She looked at me. "Can I cut in?"

I wasn't sure whether or not James wanted to dance with Ally, so I stayed quiet, glancing up at James, who frowned. "Regrettably no," James sighed. "I'm sorry, Ally, but I'd just like to dance with Lily tonight."

My heart flipped – it was the first time he'd ever called me by my first name, and it rolled off his name, suddenly sounding beautiful rather than boring. Ally pouted for a moment and then walked away, swaying her hips in what was apparently supposed to be an enticing manner. Personally, I thought she looked a bit like a duck.

James sighed dramatically, his chest heaving hugely. "I'm just too damn attractive for my own good," he teased, grinning again.

"I won't argue with that," I said, blushing as soon as I did. James was courteous enough not to bring any attention to my embarrassment, and for that I was grateful. Several other girls asked to cut in over the course of the night, but James turned each other down politely, telling them that I was his date. "You know," I told him, after the fifth beautiful girl had walked away dejectedly. "If you want to dance with someone else, you can."

"Are we still pretending that this isn't a real date?" James asked me suddenly. He wasn't joking in the least, and I felt heat flood my face at his blatant honesty. He'd obviously gotten tired of beating around the bush.

I sighed. "No, I suppose not. I'm having a wonderful time dancing with you."

"And I with you," he said, twirling me lightly. I was amazed at the grace he could inspire in my clumsy self. "Let's ignore all these interruptions, and enjoy ourselves. I've been waiting six years for this date, Evans, and I'm not willing to waste a moment of it."

I grinned uncontrollably as the song slipped gracefully into a more upbeat tempo, and James began to twirl me faster. Mostly, he was only touching my hands, but when he would twirl me, or guide me into another spin, his hands would brush fleetingly against my stomach or my waist, and my heart would do back flips at his touch.

When the dance was over, I felt disappointed. It seemed to me as if the dance had just begun, but when I looked at the enormous clock hanging on one wall, it was nearly midnight. I wondered where the time had gone, and wished that it hadn't passed so quickly. James led me out of the Great Hall, up several familiar staircases, through the crowds, and into the empty corridor where Godric's great statue stood, guarding the entrance to our common room.

"Silver dagger," James said, and Godric stepped aside to allow us passage. Once inside, James went to sit on the sofa in front of the roaring fire. I sat down on the other end of the sofa, took off my shoes, pulled one leg up underneath me, and looked at him.

He was staring into the fire, a faraway look on his face, as if he were thinking about something, or contemplating some great question of the universe. He looked at me, caught me staring at him, and I blushed deeply. I looked away, hoping that he hadn't picked up on my embarrassment.

"You really do look gorgeous tonight, Evans," he said. "You look beautiful every day, of course, but tonight..." He sighed. "Tonight, you like a goddess."

My face and neck were on fire. Had he really just called me a goddess? The bugger wasn't even embarrassed. I couldn't believe that I – who was usually perfectly poised – sat there, face on fire, sweating, while James Potter looked completely and entirely _comfortable_ in his own beautiful skin.

"Thank you," I murmured, looking away from him. And then I felt James move closer to me, scooting to my end of the sofa. He rested his arm on the cushions behind me, and I looked up at him, surprised that his face was only inches away from mine. I couldn't move, couldn't speak. My mind was frozen – all thoughts wiped completely from my mind. All I could do was stare at him, and wait for what happened next.

Tentatively, James moved his face forward, slowly as if he was afraid of startling me with sudden movements. One hand on the back of the couch, one on his own leg, he pressed his lips to mine. I felt my eyes slide closed as my lips parted slightly of their own accord, and his tongue slipped smoothly into my mouth to run along my teeth.

I gasped as I felt his warm, hot, incredibly _strong_ tongue touch my own. He tasted delicious, like nothing I'd ever tasted before, and my mind suddenly began to race as he let his arm drop off the back of the sofa, onto my shoulders, and his other hand moved onto my thigh, resting just above my knee.

And then he pulled away slowly, tugging on my lower lip slightly with his teeth. He was smiling at me when I opened my eyes. I felt like I was in a haze. I couldn't see straight. I wondered if I looked completely stoned. Probably.

"I just kissed Lily Evans," he murmured, not moving away from me, still looking into my eyes. "But that isn't the best part. The absolute _best_ is that she kissed me back."

His eyes were blazing, as if someone had lit a fire behind them. I felt embarrassed, but I couldn't look away from him, and I didn't really want to look away from him. All I wanted to do was kiss him again, so I did. I put my hand on the back of his neck and pulled my face back to his.

He kissed me more deeply this time, shifting so he had a better angle and burying his hands in my hair, which had at some point fallen out of its elegant twist. He moved over me suddenly, covering me with the heat of his body.

"James," I gasped, my eyes widening as his lips hit my throat. I tangled my hands in his hair, tugging gently. I stared up at the ceiling and watched the shadows that the fire was casting flicker across the scarlet pain erratically.

There was a fire burning in the pit of my stomach. My blood was boiling. James' hands were tracing my spine as he sucked a soft spot just below my ear, his fingers kneading gently my sweating skin. I pushed my body into his, and he slid his hands along my ribcage. I gasped again when one of his hands squeezed my breast.

"I love you, Lily Evans," he rasped, his voice hoarse in my ear, rough like someone had run his vocal chords through a blender.

"I love you too," I breathed, and my confession surprised me as much it surprised him. James pulled away quickly, suddenly looking like a deer in the headlights of a car. His eyes burned. "I don't know when I started, and I'm sorry I'm so late to realize it, but I love you."

"Evans," James moaned, pressing his hips against mine desperately. I felt a familiar hardness pressing against the apex of my thighs. "Jesus Christ, Evans, you're going to kill me."

I tugged his hair again as I kissed him, battling his tongue with my own. We were fighting for dominance, but I didn't care if I won or lost. All that mattered was that I was with James, and I felt like I never had before, and that he wanted me, no matter how many times I had rejected him, no matter how many times I had told him no. He still wanted me, and – in that moment – I realized that I wanted him as well.

"We have to stop," James panted, pulling away. "Before I won't be able to."

"I don't want to stop," I told him, breathing in his ear. "I want to keep going."

James turned his eyes on me, looking as desperate as a man dying of thirst is for water. He was desperate for me, I realized, and it gave me courage. It empowered me. I slid my hands, off his shoulders, over his chest, down his stomach, and pressed lightly again his crotch, which was rock hard beneath my hands.

He groaned. "Evans, you don't really want to. It's just the heat of the moment. You'll regret it in the morning."

"No I won't," I promised him, somehow completely sure of a decision I hadn't even realized I was making. It was out of my control. I was suddenly completely ruled by my body and my hormones. There was a fire burning in my lower stomach, and I wanted James to be the one to put it out. "I want you, James."

He nodded. "Have you ever...?" He trailed off suggestively. He was suddenly sober, although he still looked desperately _hungry_.

"No," I told him. "But I want to do it with you tonight. I'm ready now." I smiled. "Have you?"

James looked embarrassed, but he nodded. "I'm always...you know, safe, though, so you, uh, have nothing to worry about." He stood up, and suddenly lifted me off the couch bridal style, into his strong arms. I wasn't afraid he would drop me, only happy that he was carrying me toward his open bedroom door.

He kicked it shut behind him, and I looked around the semi-dark room. The only light came from the moon, hanging low in the starry sky outside the big bay window. James put me down on the floor beside the bed, and stripped off his dress robe. I began on his tie right away, removing it, and then started unbuttoning his dress shirt.

James' hands were resting on my waist, rubbing soothing circles into my hipbones. I smiled at him as I took his shirt off, and started fumbling with his belt buckle.

He took my wrists silently, looking down between us, and my hands were suddenly steady enough to get the buckle undone. I unfastened his pants, and they fell to the floor into a bunch at his feet. He bent down and quickly took off his shoes and socks, and I watched him kick his pants away somewhat impatiently.

He looked up at me, his gaze steady. "Are you absolutely sure?" he asked me.

"Yes," I whispered, and I felt his hands on my back as I looked down between us. His erection was poking forward, causing a tent in the front of his boxer shorts. His nimble fingers grasped my zipper, and pulled it slowly down. My dress fell away from my body into a puddle at our feet.

I blushed, looking down, concentrating on the smooth, muscular 'V' of his hips. I was curious to see what was hidden from me, but I was embarrassed at my state of undress. I hadn't been wearing a bra, so my breasts were completely exposed to him, and my panties were nothing more than ribbons and lace.

James pulled my face up to look at him, a gentle hand underneath my chin. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said sincerely, and he bent his face forward, kissing me gently but deeply. His thick tongue stroked mine again, massaged it, and I felt myself wrap my arms around his neck. He picked me up bridal style again, and my breasts pressed against his hot chest. A moment later, my back was against his cool sheets, my head resting in the soft pillows.

James moved over me, kissing my neck, and his hands ran over my body, caressing me gently. He murmured in my ear, "I'm not looking forward to hurting you."

"That's okay," I told him. I was expecting pain, tons of it. But I would deal with it, because I knew that one night in paradise with James would be worth any amount of pain it caused me.

Slowly, James pulled off my underwear, and I blushed again, completely naked and exposed.

"Lily," he murmured, sucking briefly on my earlobe. "You're so beautiful." I felt his hand sliding down my stomach, and I clamped my thighs together instinctively as he began to touch me, trapping his fingers. "Sorry," he said, "I'll go slower."

"No," I breathed, separating my thighs for him. "It's all right. I just wasn't expecting it."

He nodded, kissing me again as he rubbed one finger against me, feeling my wetness.

"You're so wet," he mumbled, pressing his tongue flat against the shell of my ear. "So warm...so beautiful."

I reached for the waistband of his boxer shorts and pushed them down a little bit. Suddenly James was gone, standing next to the bed, and I watched him pull them down. I didn't concentrate as he kicked them away, because I was too busy looking at his erection. It was bigger than I thought it would be – I had no idea how it would fit. It was fully engorged, standing at attention, all for _me_. James sat on the side of the bed, reached into the drawer of his bedside table, and pulled out a condom, sliding it on effortlessly. Slowly, he moved back over me, and he smiled down at me as he supported his weight with his elbows.

"Are you ready?" he murmured, pressing his forehead against mine as he used one hand to line himself up with my opening. I felt him press against me, not yet entering.

"Yes," I breathed, and I felt him push into me, stretch me, fill me completely. I closed my eyes as I felt a sharp pain, and I struggled for breath.

"Tell me when you're okay," he said, his voice strangled.

After a minute or so – during which James remained completely still (I wondered how difficult the task was for him, imagining that he must be putting up quite a heroic fight against his own body) – the pain ebbed, and I nodded. "I'm okay," I said.

And James began to move inside of me, thrusting his hips gently against mine, sliding back and forth easily. Sweat began to pour off of him after a while, and I gasped when he bit my neck gently.

"You can move too, if you feel like it," he choked. "Whatever you're comfortable with."

I closed my eyes, enjoying the pleasant sensations coursing rapidly through my body, and pushed up against one of his deep thrusts. It felt amazing, and it thrilled me to no end. I giggled, and James clutched my wrists, pulling them up above my head.

"How is it?" he grunted, obviously concentrating very hard. I wondered if he was going to come. I didn't no if I would. How was I supposed to know how it felt if I'd never done it before?

"Good," I murmured. "It's really good. Are you ready to come?"

He choked out something that sounded like a yes, but I wasn't sure. He thrust a little harder, a little deeper, and I felt something tighten in the pit of my stomach. My eyes closed, and suddenly it was like something inside of me snapped, and I heard myself cry out in pleasure. Immediately after, James was grunting, choking, and convulsing around me, trembling and shaking. His penis was throbbing inside of me, and then he was still, and he pulled out, lying on his back on the bed beside me.

"Holy shit," he murmured, chest heaving. I rolled closer to him and cuddled against him. He wrapped his arm around me in a way that seemed somehow protective, and I sighed, content.

"Thank you," I mumbled, feeling myself drifting into sleep. "You were so great."

James sighed. "I know. I'm a sex god."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure you are."

James chuckled sleepily and tightened his arm around Lily, and together they drifted off into a blissful sleep.

**Okay, so I don't really like the way this ended, but I couldn't think of any better way. I didn't want to do something cheesy like, "I love you, James" and "I love you, Lily," and blah, blah, blah. So this is how it came out. I hope everyone likes it. This might be a story that I decide to continue eventually, but I don't know yet. I guess it all depends on the kind of reviews I get, although I'm not really sure what could happen next... Anyway, enough of my rambling. If you liked it, review. If you hated it, let me know. Don't be shy. Bad reviews will only encourage me to write better next time. Much love. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so I know I said that I would continue this if I got good reviews and – surprisingly – people actually liked this story. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. There was a little bit of confusion about my switching from third to first to third person as I wrote. Sorry about that – it was actually completely unintentional. It's one of my biggest flaws as a writer. As promised, here's a second chapter to the one-shot **_**Fire Burning**_**. I've decided to write it in third person since that's the way I originally intended the first chapter. I like writing in first person best anyway. This is the classic morning after. So I hope you all like it as much as you liked the original. I'm actually working on a Harry/Ginny fic at the time, so I'll post that soon too. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review. :)**

**Oh, and Alexandra reviewed and said she wanted more passionate and fiery lemons. Sweet and romantic is kind of more my style, but this is my best attempt at passion and fire. Here it is, Alexandra. Hope you like it. :)**

Lily awoke when she felt the sun warming her face, burning through her eyelids, causing her to see red. She turned her face into the silky pillowcase. She wasn't ready to wake up yet. She tried to ignore the fact that she was semi-conscious, and hoped that she'd be able to sink back into the wonderful dream she'd been having about James.

It was then that Lily realized that something extremely hot and solid was pressed firmly against her back. Something heavy was resting across her torso, pinning her arms to her sides. Her eyes flew open.

These were not her sheets. None of the furniture in the room belonged to her. The arm draped across her was definitely not hers. The only thing that _did_ belong to Lily was the emerald green dress crumpled on the floor next to the bed. Lily squirmed, turning around. A second later, she was face-to-face with none other than _James Potter._

Memories of the night before came flooding back to Lily's groggy brain as she looked at James' sleeping face. He looked so peaceful and innocent. The sheet, Lily soon realized, only covered either of them to the waist. She pulled it up to cover her naked breasts, and stared down as James tanned, masculine body. She could see the perfect 'V' shape his hips made, and she followed the trail of dark hair down from his naval until it disappeared underneath the scarlet sheets. Only it wasn't a mystery anymore what the trail led to. Now Lily knew.

"Are you checking me out, Evans?" James murmured sleepily.

Lily's eyes snapped back up to James' face. His hazel eyes were open, watching her in a way that seemed tentative. She held the sheets over herself bashfully. She knew James had seen _everything_ last night. There had been no inhibitions, and Lily's embarrassment had faded as he had moved inside of her, causing her the greatest pleasure she had ever known. But now, in the morning sun, it felt like things were different.

Lily looked away, sitting up against the many pillows. She sighed heavily.

"One would think that, after last night, you'd be calling me by my first name," she murmured, realizing belatedly that she sounded hurt and slightly angry.

James was closer to her in a second, suddenly sitting beside her, his arm wrapped around. Lily blushed furiously as James slid up and she sheet stayed where it was, slipping down to his thighs, baring him to her. He obviously didn't notice or didn't care because he didn't bother covering himself back up. He was fully concentrated on Lily, and she found that she _liked_ having James' undivided attention.

But she couldn't take her eyes off of his penis. It looked so different in the light. He was hard, standing at attention, ready for a repeat of last night. Lily's anger faded as she wondered wildly if James would have sex with her again.

"Sorry," James said, pulling the sheet back up to his hips when he realized what she was staring at.

"It's okay," Lily murmured. "Is it...do you always have an erection when you wake up?"

"Yes," James said promptly, still focusing completely on Lily. "I'm sorry, Lily. You have a beautiful first name, and I promise I'll use it from now on. It's just a hard habit to break, you know? I've been calling you Evans for so long...I'm just kind of used to it... And I was honestly joking about the checking me out thing. Sorry."

"Don't apologize," Lily heard herself saying. "James...you don't..._regret_ last night, do you?"

"No!" James said immediately. "Lily, I could never, ever regret being with you. I told you last night and I'll tell you again: I love you. I enjoyed last night more than I could ever tell you...much, much more. And I hope you did too."

Lily felt the blush creep back up her cheeks. Her neck and ears burned. Slowly, nervously, she turned her head and pressed her lips against James' neck, murmuring, "I did."

"Good," James sighed, relaxing against the pillows.

Lily cursed nature. Suddenly, she had an urge to go to the bathroom that simply could not be ignored. She looked around, trying to find something to cover herself with. James must have noticed, because he handed her a fluffy black robe and made a show of closing his eyes.

"Thank you," Lily murmured, taking the robe. "James, I'm sorry. It's not that I don't want you to look, it's just—"

"I know," James said. "Don't worry. I won't look while you put it on. I promise."

Lily got up quickly, turning her back to James as she pulled the robe on and tied it securely in front. She didn't look at James as she headed for the bathroom, and she made sure to close the door behind her securely.

After Lily went to the bathroom, she washed her hands and face and looked in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, tangled haphazardly around her head. She looked flush, and immediately knew what people meant when they referred to an afterglow. Lily took several deep breaths before opening the door and entering the bedroom again.

James was still sitting in bed, and he smiled at her, patting the place beside him. Lily walked slowly to the bed, and sat back against the pillows again.

"You look adorable in my robe, Lily," James said quietly, and he kissed her neck lightly.

"Thanks," Lily gasped. All the sensations of the night before returned to her with that one gentle kiss. The gentle touches, the soft sighs, the salty taste of James' skin that seemed to still linger on the tip of her tongue. Lily felt the now familiar tingling sensation at her center, and blushed even as James pulled his face away from her.

"You're perfect," James murmured, resting his hand on her hip, so lightly that it was barely there at all. He moved his face closer to hers. "You had no reason to be nervous last night, Lily. You're a natural..."

James closed his eyes, and Lily watched as his face moved closer and closer to hers in a way that was nerve-wracking and sexy at the same time. As soon as his lips touched hers, her eyes fell shut, her breathing hitched in her throat, and her hands flew to his wildly sexy hair.

Lily fisted chucks of the soft black tresses, clutching him to him, kissing him with vigor she hadn't known she possessed. James moved slowly over her, halfway on top of her, one of his legs between both of hers.

"Lily," James murmured, pulling away gently. "You don't have to...I'm not expecting anything."

"I know," Lily panted. "It's okay. I want to."

James grinned and continued to kiss Lily. Slowly, his hands moved to the knot holding the front of the robe closed, and he untied it expertly without looking. He let it fall open as his hands ventured inside, sliding over Lily's flat stomach, palming her breasts. And then his hands moved south, and Lily gasped as he placed one finger inside of her.

"I'm sorry," James murmured. He pulled his finger back out. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Lily sighed, spreading her thighs farther apart, welcoming his hand. "No, that felt good."

James chuckled a little under his breath. "You're dripping," he murmured as he pushed the finger back in, curling it gently. Lily felt her legs bend at the knees as she pressed her feet into the mattress. She couldn't even spare a blush of embarrassment.

"That feels so good, James," Lily moaned quietly. She stared at the ceiling, wide-eyed, as James inserted another finger.

When James inserted a third finger, Lily cried out, and clamped her thighs together, trapping his hand. He looked up, frowning.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Did that hurt?"

"No," Lily said. "No. I just..." She blushed. "I want the real thing."

James face darkened in color just a shade, and he grinned. "You have to give me back my hand first so I can put on a condom..."

Lily spread her thighs and James slowly removed his hand, leaving Lily feeling thoroughly empty. He moved away for a moment, and was back fifteen seconds later, sliding back on top of Lily. She spread her legs as James positioned himself over her. Before she knew what was happening, he slid quickly inside of her, filling her immediately.

Lily gasped, clutching his shoulders. She was desperate for something to ground her to Earth, because she worried she might float away if she wasn't holding something solid. It felt like gravity didn't exist anymore. Her breathing stopped, her stomach clenched, and she felt herself tighten around James impossibly hard shaft.

He began moving immediately, shifting his hips so his penis moved gently in and out of her. Lily heard herself let out a shaky laugh as the tingling intensified a thousand percent. James was already panting in her ear.

"If you wrap your legs around my waist I can go deeper," James grunted, and his voice, though quiet, seemed to fill the room.

Lily did as he'd instructed, feeling only slightly awkward. She crossed her ankles behind his thighs, and the next time James slid into her, he did go deeper, and the different angle was much better. She felt his pubic bone rub against her clitoris, and her hips thrust upward of their own accord.

"Lily..." James groaned, sounding helpless. He was panting, and she felt his chest heaving against hers.

Lily gasped again as he pushed in with slightly more force than before. She felt him press his hands flat against the mattress on either side of her head, and he pushed himself into a more upright position, increasing the angle between their bodies.

Lily closed her eyes tightly, panting uncontrollably. She felt the pit of her stomach stir, and then she climaxed, clutching James tightly. James grunted, and then Lily felt him pulsing inside of her. When he had finished, he pulled out of her, still panting and lay beside her.

"Jesus," James groaned, wiping sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. "Lily, that was _fantastic_."

The pair lay quietly for a moment before James got out of bed and began getting dressed. Lily pulled his robe back on.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

James turned and looked back at her over his shoulder. "You go get dressed, too," he said. "_We_ are going down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Sex that great takes a lot of energy. I'm starving."

Lily smiled and shook her head, remembering that – no matter how perfect and accomplished James Potter was in bed – he was still a teenage boy. And teenage boys were _always_ hungry.


End file.
